The morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, December 05, 1887, Image 1

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i ESTABLISHED 1850. 1 'I J. H. F.hTILL. Editor and Proprietor. | CONGRESS MEETS TO-DAY. the fight for control of the SENATE TO BEGIN. No Telling How Long It will Continue - The President’s Message to be Lis tened to To-morro w-The Committees of the House not Apt to be Com pleted before Christmas. Washington, Bee. 4. The Fiftieth Congress will be called to order at 12 o’clock to-morrow. The course of events in the Senate during the wee seems to depend entirely upon the ability of the two parties to reach a conclusion with respect to the admission of members-elect. It is said to be probable that objection will be made by the Republicans to the admission of Senators Turpie, of Indiana, and Faulkner, of West Virginia, some leading Republicans holding that there are good prirna facie grounds for an investigation of their titles, such as exist against no other Senators-elect. attitude of the democrats. The Democrats, on the other hand, hold ing that the only flaws in the titles of the Senators named are merely technical, pro pose in case objection is made to make simi lar objections to the admission of certain Republicans in whose credentials technical lapses have been found. This is likely to precipitate a conflict over the organization of the body, which may delay all other matters indefinitely. IF PEACE REIGN. Should objection not be made or should a compromise or understanding be reached the Senate will to-morrow appoint the cus tomary committees to give notice to the House'and to the President of the organiza tion of the Senate and its readiness to pro ceed to business. If both houses complete their organization to-morrow the I’resi dent’s message will be laid before them Tuesday. The remainder of the week in the Senate is likely to witness nothing in the way of general legislation except the introduction of bills. IN THE HOUSE. The House will be called to order at noon by Mr. Clark, Clerk of the preceding House, and after a quorum of members have responded to their names on the call of the roll, the work of organization will be proceeded with. The Speaker having been duly selected and the oath administered to him by Mr. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, the members-elect will take their stand in front of the Speaker’s desk and qualify. No hitch will occur in this proceeding, as there is no member whose pnma facie right to a seat is questioned. DRAWING FOR SEATS. The next business will be the drawing for seats, which will consume the remainder of the day. Tuesday the President’s message will be received, read and referred to the committee of the whole. In the organiza tion of the last two Congresses that of the House was not perfected before the holi day recess. Owing to the close division of the new House on party lines, and the large number of new and untried members whose personal preferences in the assign ments it is customary to consider, it seems probable that the work of selecting the com mittees will occupy Speaker Carlisle’s time nearly or quite up to Christmas. Mean while no legislative business of importance can be transacted and the House will proba bly consume the short sessions intervening between frequent adjournments, in debates of a political character. RESTRICTING -IMMIGRATION. Senator Palmer to Introduce a Bill on the Subject. Washington, Dec. 4.—Senator Palmer, of Michigan, will introduce in the Senate at the earliest possible op portunity a bill prepared by him for the pui-pose of regulating and restricting immigration to the United States. The I principal feature of the bill is a provision which, if it become a law, will require every person of foreign birth who contemplates emigrating to the United States to provide himself with a certificate from the United States Consul for the dis trict of his residence, “setting forth substan tially that said Consul is satisfied, upon diligent inquiry that he is a suitable and de sirable person for residence and citizenship in the United States.” Persons of foreign birth not provided with such certificates shall not be allowed by the United States immigration officers to'land in this country. A BIG JOB KOR CONSULS. The fourth section, which embodies most of the new legislation proposed by Senator Palmer's bill, provides that no certificate shall l)e granted to any convict except those convicted of political offenses, nor to any lunatic, idiot, or any person unable to take care of himself or herself without becom ing a public charge, nor to any Anarchist, Nihilist or any person hostile to the prin ciples of the constitution or form of gov ernment of the United States, nor to any believer or professed believer in the Mormon religion who fails to satisfy the Consul upon examination that he or she intends to and will conform ■to and obey the laws of the United States, ■nor to any person included in the prohibi- Btion in the act to prohibit the importa- Btion and immigration of foreigner and ■aliens under contract or agreement to per- Horm labor in the United States, approved February 2(1, 1885, or in acts amendatory to ftaid act. GUARDING THE MESSAGE. fchreats Intended to Prevent Prema ture Publication. 1 Washington, Dec. 4. —The President’s Mtiessage was delivered to him in print by Bio Public Printer this afternoon. On Bhursday, after he had read it to the Cab- Biet, the President sent for the Public put tbo manuscript in his hands, B>ld him how many printed copies he wished Bnd added that if its contents got into the Bewspapers while it was in the Printing he hold (lie Public Printer person- Bly responsible. The Public Printer him that he need have no fear of a publication. The Public Printer, he returned to the government priut- Bg office, summoned half a dozen old and employes chiefs of divisions, told B- ii wliau the President desired, ant added w it if the message got into the newspapers Hy would discharge every one of them. , Randall’s Chairmanship. B Washington. Dec. 4.— Mr. Randall called ||pi Mr. Carlisle this evening and they had conference. Mr. Randall, it is still stands on his own ground but pacific wishes. His attitude is KB' w such that his reappointment as Cliair- of the Committee on Appropriations is probable, yet he has promised as yet except that he will consult consider. Algernon S. Sullivan Dead. ■ New York, Doc. 4.—Algernon S. Sulli- Bn, a well known lawyer, died at his resi g|B‘uce to-night of typhoid fever. flic JKufnitifl petog. TAXES ON FRUIT BRANDIES. North Carolina Congressmen Call on Speaker Carlisle. Washington, Dec. 4.— The Democratic members of the Noi th Carolina delegation called on Mr. Carlisle yesterday to ask him what he thought could be done this winter to relieve their constituents of what they consider the more oppressive features of the internal revenue laws. Tney told him that their constituents would not be greatly benefited by the repeal of the tobacco taxes, which seemed inevitable, and that they desired more especially the repeal of the taxes on fruit brandies, and some modi fication of the laws governing the punish men tof offenses against the internal reve nue, which would give the Federal Judges trying cases under them, greater discretion as to sentences. Mr. Carlise said he appre ciated the needs and desires of their con stituents, and would do all that he could to help them. The North Carolina men came away satisfied that he would. They do not confidently expect a repeal of the fruit brandy’taxes, because that might lead to frauds on the revenue by distillers of spirits. But they do hope for the desired modifica tion of the laws governing the trial of such cases, so that the Judges may have more discreticn. The Federal Judges in the Southern circuits will probably themselves present this matter to the Judiciary Com mittee of the House and Senate. ALABAMA’S LAND BOOM. An Application Granted for a Re ceiver for a Company. Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 4. —Judge Bruce, of the United States District Court, yesterday granted an application for the appointment of a receiver of the Smithfield Land Company, which holds two hundred acres of land adjoining the city of Birming ham. A bill was filed by the stock holders and alleges that O. A. Lane and his associates of Birmingham bought an option from J. R. Smith on 200 acres of land celled Smithfield, the price agreed upon being #248,000; that none of this money was paid; that the syndicate holding the option sold the land to the Smithfield Land Com pany for $022,000; that the company was capitalized at $850,000; that the Smithfield company sold $844,000 worth of its stock, at on the dollar; that out of this sale of stock $0,200 was paid to Smith, the original owner of the land; SBO,OOO to Lane and his associates; that thereupon Smith conveyed the land to the company, securing the bal ance of the purchase money by a mortgage for $185,000, and that said mortgage was not recorded; and that said O. A. Lane and his associates took a second mortgage for $94,000. Therefore the bill asks fora receiv er on the ground that the mortgage held by Smith is invalid against the stock purchas ers on account of its not being recorded, and also asks that the stock held by Lane and his associates be canceled because it was without consideration. The court ap- Eointed Wallace J. Barnard, of Birmiug ani, receiver. The stock once readily sold as high as 30c. on the dollar, but has since fallen as low as lj^c. RUN DOWN IN THE SNOW, Passenger Coaches Smashed In a Col lision In Dakota. Minneapolis, Minn., Dec. 4. —A special from Iroquois, Dak., says: “This afternoon a passenger train from the South got stuck in the snow one mile west of here and was followed by a passenger train from the East half a mile apart. The former sent a brakeman back to flag but the engineer had his cab win dow closed and did not see him. The second train crashed into the hind coach, completely telescoping it. Most of the passengers saw the train coming in time to got out. A few who were in the car escaped with bruises. The engineer and fireman of the engine were both hurt, but it is thought not seri ously. Niue persons wore injured but none were killed. The hind coach, baggage and mail car were smashed up, making a fear ful wreck. It took twelve hours to clear the track. The injured were cared for by physicians from Iroquois. The engineer of the second train is blamed.” EARTHQUAKE. The Town Entirely Destroyed and a Score of People Killed. London, Dec. 4. —Twenty persons were killed and many injured by the earthquake at Besignam, Calabria. The first shock was felt at 5 o’clock in the morning. The peopleat once fled from their houses and thus prevented an awful calamity. The second shook, which was much more violent than the first, occurred at 7 o'clock. Besignam Is almost entirely destroyed. Four thousand persons are rendered homeless, and many others are missing. Russian Cabinet Changes. St. Petersburg, Dec. 4.—lt is rumored that Count Tolstoi is about to resign the office of Minister of the Interior and that he will be succeeded by Privy Councillor Manasseine, the new ’Minister of Justice, who will l)e succeeded by M. Philipoff. It is also rumored that M. Delianoff, Minister of Public Instruction, is about to retire, and that be will be succeeded by Coimt Kahn st, Curator of the Moscow University." King Humbert Well Satisfied. Home, Doc. 4.— King Humbert, in thank ingthe deputation who tendered the reply of Parliament to the royal speech, referred in terms of sincere regret t > the death of Sig. DePretis. He added that not the least of the services of the late Premier was his designation of Sig. Crispi as his suc cessor. The King also expressed entire satisfaction with the stute of affairs at home and abroad. London's Socialists Lay Low. lain don, Dec. 4. —The Socialists made no attempt to carry out their threatened dem onstrations in Trafalgar i-qua’re or Hyde Park to-day. This was doubtless due to the warning issued by the police authorities to the Socialist Federation Council. A prominent Socialist named Burrows was arrested in Clerkenwell to-day on a charge of making a seditious speech. A Train Ditched by a Cow. Galveston, Tex., Dec. 4.—A special to the Neivs from Kyle, Tex., says: “The north-bound Missouri Pacific passenger train from Ban Antonio was wrecked near here last night. Charles Wood, yard engineer at Austin, who was riding on the locomotive with the regular engineer, was instantly killed. Engineer P. Smith and Fireman Brock were both seriously injured. The locomotive struck a cow and was ditched, together with the mail and baggage cars.” Found Dead in Bed Stamford, Conn.. Dec. 4.—George A. Hoyt, President of the Pennsylvania Coal Comi>any, the largest property owner in Fairfield county, and possessed of other large resources, retired last night in his usual health, and this morning was found dead in lied. He was horn in Stamford and lived here all his life. He was about 70 years old. SAVANNAH, GA„ MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1887. SADI-CARNOT’S POLICY. THE PRESENT PARLIAMENT TO BE DISSOLVED. The Present Cabinet Requested to Re tain Their Portfolios for the Present —The New Chief Magistrate’s Elec tion Well-Received Throughout the Country—lt Augurs Peace. Paris, Dec. 4.— President Badi-Carnot was formally installed in the Elysee Palace this afternoon, and later m-eived visits from ex-President Grevy, M. Rouvier, President Pejdral, of the Budget Commits tee, and other leading politicians. The President stated that it was his intention, after the new Ministry was fortned, to at once close the present session of Parliament until after the coming Senatorial elections. The resignation of the Cabinet, which fol lows the election of anew President, was to-night placed in the hands of the Presi dent. Gen. Brugere to-night invested the latter with the grand collar of the LegioD of Honor, Gen. Faidherbe presiding at the ceremony. The newspapers of this city generally approve of the election of M. Sadi-Carnot and consider it an augury of peace. Tele grams from the provinces, without excep tion, testify to the satisfaction felt at the result of the election. President Sadi-Carnot requested the Min isters to remain in office for the present for thejdispatch of the public business. The papal Nuncio has received instruc tions from the Vatican to pay an early visit to the President and establish friendly rela tions at the outset with the new administra tion by explicitly declaring the good will of the Holy See toward France. EXTRACTS FROM THE PRESS. The Journal des Debats says: “The whole country will hail the result of the Presidential election with a feeling of relief that satisfies the need of tranquility strongly felt during the past few days.” The Kvenement and Dim Neuvienne Steele hope that the union established the name of M. Sadi-Carnot may not prove a union of a day only, doomed to perish in a flood of Parliamentary' intrigues of ambi tion. The Soleil repudiates the idea of Republi can concentration, and says that each party sustained a defeat. Many papers praise the patriotic conduct of M. Ferry and M. de Freyeinet. La Justice says: “We will not for an instant wrong M. Sadi-Carnot by thinking that he might be mistaken in the meaning of Saturday’s vote. Better than any one else he will understand the necessity of breaking off entirely and frankly with the compromised past.” The Liberte says: “The dominant charac ter of the new Presidency is concord and truce among all the parties.” AN AIR OF RESERVE. The air of M. Sadi-Carnot is reserved and slightly distant. He lid not canvass for a single vote. When asked whether he would become a candidate he replied: “Yes, on condition that I shall not have to ask for votes and shall not depend upon monarchical votes. If it should be found that there are not enough Republican votes, I will, if re turned. regard my election as void.' 1 When elected he said to his children: “It will go hard with me to quit the familiar house and go to liue in that Auberge Elysee.” THE NEW PRESIDENT’S WIFE. Madame Sadi-Carnot is said to be active, clever, and admirably fitted to make the Elysee Palace a social centre. Her garden parties and soirees dansantes at the Minis try of Finance have always been very suc cessful. M. Grevy in his interview to-day with the new President expressed the hope that M. Sadi-Carnot would be happier in the Elysee palace than he him self had been and would be as glad to leave it when the time came for him to leave. M. Grevy boasted that he slept eight hours on a stretch last Friday night and said that he had not had that pleasure for six weeks previous. M. Sadi-Carnot is officially a Catholic, but really a Deist and spiritualist, accepting the views of his friend Jean Rey naud. OPINIONS OF ENGLISH EDITORS. London, Dec. 5,3:30 a. m.— The Standard says: “There is no reason why M. Sardi- Carnot should not make a good President and avoid the shoals which wrecked Presi dent Grevy. He cannot do better than in duce the members of the Rouvier Cabiuet to return to their posts.” The Telegraph says: “M. Sadi-Carnot is a visible protest against corruption in high places. He is an economist and a man of peace, so far as can be judged.” The News says: “M. Sadi-Carnot is re spectability personified, and France has every reason to feel gratified at his election. ’ A COUP EXPECTED. Berlin, Dec. 4. —The Post, predicts that in the spring both the Right and Radicals in France will attempt a coup to bring about war in order to get possession of the govern ment. The Post says that M. Sadi-Carnot will be unable long to keep up the see-saw which the conflicting parties will make of the Presidency. The newspapers generally, however, express favorable opinions of the new President. AUSTRIA’S VIEWS. Vienna, Dec. 4. —Count Kainokyin mi interview to-day observed that the issue of the crisis in France was most satisfactory, affording proof that at the decisive moment common sense and moderation triumph over party passions. This opinion is shared by Austrian statesmen generally, and by the newspapers though the Pest her Lloyd fears dissension will soon break out again. WAR ON THE BUCKET SHOPS. Prosecuting These Pests of the Great Cities. New York, Dec. 3.— One of the most sig nificent of recent events in the speculative world is the prosecution of the keepers of bucket shops in New York and Chicago. New York has Jed in the war on these pests of great cities, and it is probable that they will ultimately he relegated to the proper position of gambling dons patronized only by professional blacklegs. There is this to lie said in favor of faro and other games of chance, that they are usually less obviously of a swindling nature than the average bucket shop, and tiiat as a rule they attract a widely different class of customers, and are really less pernicious Jin their influ ence on society. That is to say, very little is expected of faro, rouge et noir and keno; such games are universally recognized as gambling pure and simple; they are generally con sidered disreputable and few persons with any pretensions to self-respect will patronize them. On the other hand, the bucket shop is by too many regarded as a legitimate re sort of speculation, and ruined speculators, bankrupt merchants, ambitious clerks, actors, foolish women, office boys and others who would not think of “fighting the tiger” in Ann street anil associating with profes sional gamblers, patronize a place where they can “invest’’ a few dollars in stocks and grain under the delusion that it is simply an ordinary speculative operation on a small scale. New York is full of bucket shops, some of which have ramifica tions throughout the country. There are no less than twenty in New street of this city, and eight on Broadway, besides others in various parts of the city. There was formerly a bucket shop exclusively for women, known as the “Three Graces,” and there is nowsaid to bo one of the same sort on Union Square, where foolish women with gambling pro pensities throw their pin money into the ravenous maw of “speculation." Hundreds of women buy pool tickets on the horse races at Coney Island, Jerome Park, Long Branch and Saratoga in the summer, and the same class would be likely to patronize a bucket shop in the winter. One big bucket shop on lower Broadway, known as the “Big Four,” employs fifty clerks and twenty-five telegraph operators and has branch offices in Boston ana elsewhere in New England, Buffaloaml other points over a wide stretch of territory east of the Mis sissippi, and is said to do an enormous busi ness. Another establishment of Wall street has private wires to numerous points in the Eastern States, and as far North ns Mon treal, employing twenty clerks and twenty five telegraph operators, keeping accounts with several members of tlio Stock Ex change, while the proprietors are allowed to be members of the Consolidated Exchange. The concern is said to do a large business. The proprietors, Doran & Wright, deny that they keep a bucket shop, but the Mer cantile Agency of K. G. Dun & Cos., of which Erastus Wiman, the well-known financier, is the head, says that S. G. Doran, the “President” and one of the direc tors of this “company,” is reported to be “a man of considerable ability, but the business is of the kind known as Bucket shop business, though it might claim to tie something higher than that. For this rea son the concern is not in good repute in reg ular business circles, and conservative houses would, as a rule, be disinclined to take risks on them. Doran is believed to be worth property, yet it is doubted if any tangible means of his could be discovered to satisfy a claim.” That is the peculiarity of some of the big bucket shops. There is not one to to sue. One concern hides itself under a title of the “Public Grain and Stick Ex change,” and is known simply as the “Big Four,” a perversion of the title usually given to certain big operators in the Chi cago Board of Trade. The bucket shop is usually very profitable. It practically has the game in its own hands. A bucket shop can “lay down” at any time. A faro bank can be broken by an extraordinary run of luck, but a bucket shop never. Every customer’s profits are limited, and there are a hundred tricks whereby such a concern "can dwindle them. As an instance of the profitable nature, Todd, whose Broad street establish ment was recently raided by the police, is reputed to be worth $1,000,000. lie owns the Hotel Vendome. on the corner of Broad way and Forty-first street, and another fa ther down that great thoroughfare. A former bucket shopper is largely interested in the Hotel St. George, on Brooklyn Heights, if be is not tho solo proprietor. These structures were costly, anil only men of wealth could have erected them. Plenty of other bucket shoppers have grown wealthy. A few of the tricks of the average bucket shop are worthy of mention. As already stated, a bucket shop can “lay down,” that is, suspend at any time, and there is no redress. The most ambitious swindler could hardly wash more than this. The profits are limited to about 3 per cent., that ls, no speculator is allowed to win more than that on a deal, and to win that he has over come a charge of one-quarter of 1 per cent, in commissions. This device naturally tends not only to increase the commissions but to reduce any possible chances of a loss by fluctuations. Quotations are falsified or deliberately suppressed, which is the same thing. In the interior the bucket shopper often swindles his customers by saying that the “wires are down” and that orders cannot be executed. This pre vents the speculator from securing a profit or it completely deceives him as to the actual quotations, which he learns soon enough, however, when his slender margin is wiped out. The bucket shopper likes to get an out-of-town business, where he has practically control of the “tickers,” and by getting his customers as far as possible into one stock or option, he can, by falsifying the quotations, which is often done to the extent of one-half per cent, or more, he can fleece them liko a pi kpocket at a funeral. If a city customer posted on the market by outside tickers, wishes to buy on a rising market, he usually finds tho bucket shopper exceedingly busv or smitten with sudden deafness, from which he only recovers after the market has gone up another “point” or two, and the speculator often has the same experience when he wishes to sell short on a declining market or to save a loss. The bucket shop only wants small margins, because they are more easily wippd out. They run all the way from $5 to SI,OOO usually, representing only 1 per cent, on the stock or grain trailed in. Not a few bucket shonpers are repre sented on the Stock Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, and often they manipulate the quotations there either by “wash” or actual transactions, selling the market up or down if the majority of their customers are “long” or “short,” as the case may be. and it often pays them to make these transactions ai a loss for the sake of the margins to be wiped out. A former Broad street establishment is said to have raked in $50,000 in one day by such tricks, and larger “shops,” with a wider field for operations, are lielieved to have stolen from SIOO,OOO to $200,000 in a single day by similar tactics. The stock or grain broker, who executes the order of establish ments known to be managed on a system of barefaced swindling, isclearly unworthy to lie a member of the Stock Exchange, the Consolidated, the Produce Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, and some of the sc-called respectable stock and grain houses are riartlv responsible for wealth and power of the bucket shops. Oscar Willoughby Riggs. NEGROES AND PROHIBITION. Rev. Joseph Cook Fears the Power ®f Their Adverse Ballots. New York, Dec. 4.-— Rev. Joseph Cook, of Boston, was the principal speaker before the American Temperance Union at Chick ering Hall this afternoon. His topic was “The Newest Aspects of Temperance Re form, Educational and Political.” He dwelt particularly on tho necessity of educating the young in the evil effects of alcohol. Mr. Cook said ttiat the principle of Prohibition hail a ixitent enemy in the negro of the (South. In fifty years, he declared, tho negroes would rule the vote of the South, and unless the young of the race were instructed in the effects of liquor their voice in subjects relating to prohibition would be all powerful against the move ment. Renegade Apaches. Tucson, Ari., Dec. 4.—A hand of rene gade Apaches under command of Maria Ellis, a well-known Indian desperado, who, with flvo companies, escaped at tho time of the surrender of Geroniino, attacked a party of travelers near Log Nogales, in tho dis trict of Monte Cuina, twenty leagues from Bavisne, on November 25, last, killing Clementz liOpez and wounding another Mexican named Moran. The Mexican authorities are in pursuit. DEFENDING THE DOMAIN. A HORDE OF SCHEMERS TRYING TO GOBBLE IT UP. 01,078 Entries Cancelled in the I^st Two and a Half Years - Repeal of the Preemption Laws, Timber Culture Acts, and the Rel nquishment Acts Recommended Washington, Dec. 4.—The following are extracts of some of the most interesting points in the annual report of Mr. Lamar, the Secretary of the Interior: “Perhaps the most difficult and important duty with which this department is charged is the ad ministration of the public land system. Under existing laws it is apparent that the area of our public land is rapidly diminish ing. This would not be an evil if the lands were passing from the government to seats of actual occuiiation by bona fide settlers, or bona fide pur chasers for purposes of settlement. But the facts are known to be otherwise. From March 5, 1885, to Oct. 1, 1887, the number of entries canceled for fraud, ille gality, abandonment, and other causes amounted to 91,078, embracing an area of 14,238,913.04 acres, making, with the canceled land grants, an aggregate of lands restored to tho public domain of 45,- 003,394 acres. In addition there are suits in the United States courts and matters pond ing before tho department, involving the question of the restoration of many millions more acres, amounting in the aggregate to 9,499,480.10. From the report of the Commissioner of tho General Land Office it appears that the number of acres of land disposed of during the past fiscal year, under the various acts of Congress authorizing sales, entries and selections, aggregates 25,111,400.84, of which 740,037.29 acres were Indian lands, 5,511,807.33 railroad selections, and 2,109,- 431.43 selections under other grants; the ag gregate amount showing ail increase of 4,862,524.55 acres as compared with the previous year. Tho receipts from disposal of the public lands were $10,783,921.72; from sales of Indian lands, #1,484,302.80, a total of $12,268,224.02, an increase over the previous year of $3,247,727.08. To which is to be added $8,291 received on account of timber depredations, and $12,493.85 recoivod for certified copies of records furnished by the General Land Office, making receipts of that bureau from all sourees $12,289,008.87, The number of patents issued during the year upon agricultural lands was 24,558, an increase of 4,073 over the previous year, ac cording to tho report of the Commissioner, but a decrease, as compared with 1886, of 48,614. PRE-EMPTION AND HOMESTEAD LAWS. I respectfully but earnestly reiterate my advice that you recommend the immediate and total repeal of the pre-emption laws, timber culture acts, and the relinquishment acts, and add thereto the cash entry laws and the desert land law. More than a quar ter of a century has elapsed since the ii&ss age of the homestead law. Its operations, at loast during the last decade, have shown it to be the w isest and most honest method of disposing of the agricultural public lands, embracing all the advantages of the pre-emption system without its acknowl edged facilities for fraud and abuse. UNLAWFUL INCLOSURE OF THE PUBLIC LANDS. The work of returning to tho people the large areas of the public land hitherto ille gally appropriated by corporations and in dividuals engaged in the cattle business on the plains, has progressed most during the past year. The turners trans mitted from the General Lana Office show that 465 illegal inclosures,aggregating in area nearly 7,009,000 acres,have been reported. In 133 of these cases, involving 8,275,000 acres, proceedings have been instituted, and in 165 cases the special agents report the removal, complete or in progress, of the illegal fenoos, throwing open to public use and occupancy 3,394,000 acres. This does not include the work of the two inspectors, Messrs. Bowers and Hunter, sent from my office to the Territories of New Mexico and Wyoming. Through thoir agency fences have been removed in 119 cases, embracing an area of 1,500,000 acres of public land, making a total of nearly 5,- 000,000 acres restored to the public domain. PRIVATE GRANTS. Another subject which, I would respect fully suggest, demands immediate legisla tion is the matter of private grants claimed to be derived from the Spanish or Mexican governments. The extent and number of the unconfirmed claims cannot be accu rately stated, as such claims are being con tinually made, and those heretofore pre sented seem to grow enormously in area with each passing year in the issuance of patents thereon. At the present time it is approximately estimated that the amount of public land actually reserved from entry and settlement because of such claims is a little short of 6,000,000 acres. THE PRESERVATION OF PUBLIC TIMBER. The vital necessity for legislation looking to the preservation of the timber resources of the country becomes more urgent every year. The annual loss to the government by the destruction of timber by fire alone is estimated at $7,000,(XX). To this should be added the more important but secondary loss which follows the destruction of the timber by floods, land-slides, climatic changes of a permanent character, and the violations of the law by depredators upon the timber on public lands. PUBLIC LAND STRIP. Because of this anomalous condition, this portion of the public domain should receive the prompt attention of Congress. Tills tract of land is bounded on the east by tho Indiau Territory, on the north by Kansas and Colorado, on the west by New Mexico and on the south fry Texas. It is a little over 168 miles long from east to west, and a fraction over 34 miles in width from north to south; contains 5,739 square miles, or 8.072,640 acres. Excluded from the bounda ries of these States and this Territory, it lias always been outside of any political juris diction. It is simply a part of tho public domain, over which the land laws have not been extended, and within the limits of which no tribunal,, civil or criminal, has jurisdiction to protect property or punish crime. INDIAN AFFAIRS. I commend to your attentive considera tion the op-rations of the Indian Bureau as set forth in the accompanying report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The first, or civilized, embracing the five civilized tribes of the Indian Territory and the Mix Nations of NewYork, whoso mem bers generally are furthest advanced in manners and morals anil in the arts and in dustries of civilized life, self-supporting, with written constitutions and luws and well-established rule* and methods of gov ernment; including also many individuals among other tribes who are fully entitled by reason of intelligence. Industry, social habits, and other characteristics of civiliza tion to lie enumerated nmong the civilized portion of the Indiau race. Second, the semi-civilized, comprising tribes and bauds among whose members the work of transformation is not so marked, yet who are progressing in order and peace, improving in habits, and engaging in indus trial pursuits, and largely earning and pro- viding their own support, and yet dependent for thoir progress upon the direction, con trol arid guidance or the government. The third class are savages who require constant watchfulness to restrain t hem from following their savage mode of life, depend ent for food, dothiug, and other supplies upon the government, and controlled by the exhibition of the physical power of the gov- i eminent, idly wandering upon the reserva tion, and when not actively opposing and obstructing measures for their advance ment yielding a sullen and unwilling re sponse thereto. The ftvo civilized tribes of the Indian Territory embrace a population of about <54,000 and the Six Nations of New York number 4,90:1. These being self-sustaining, it is not necessary for the present purpose to introduce any statistics of their industrial operations. There are also about 19,500 Indians scat tered over the public domain and not lining on any reservations under charge of Indian agents, therefore no specific information of their industrial pursuits is at hand. SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS. The statistics compiled from the annual reports of the various United States Indian agents to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs represents that of the remaining 178,<500 Indians under their supervision, about 58,000 wear citizens’ clothes wholly; that 1(5,477 houses are occupied by thorn; that about Jo,ooo can speak English with sufficient intelligence for ordinary conver sation ; that more than 10,500 of tneir' chil dren are in schools receiving elucational and industrial training, for whom 387 schools are in operation, and that over 81,000 families ore engaged in industrial pursuits. They have cultivated over 388,000 acres, built over 395,000 rods of fencing, produced over 750,000 bushels of wheat, 950,000 bushels of com, 403,000 bushels of oats, 68,- 000 bushels of barley and rye, 514,000 bushels of vegetables, and 88,000 pounds of butter. Besides the above they have gathered for use and sale considerable quantities of wild rice, berries, herbs, furs, fish and snake root, etc. They have sawed 1,553,0751 feet of lumber, cut 74,(XX) cords of wood anil 102,- 000 tons of hay. They own over 893,000 horses, 8,000 mules, 113,000 cattle, 4(5,000 swine and 1,130,000 sheep. Droughts have seriously affected the yield of their crops the past year. INDIAN SCHOOLS. The report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and that of the Superintendent of Indian Schools, and the statistical exhibits accompanying them, show that there are about 40,000 children of school age, from six to sixteen years, among that portion of Indian jiopulation for whose benefit the ap propriations for Indian educational pur poses, as far as they will go, are sought to be expended. Schools for these to the num ber of 337 have been provldod, with capacity for accommodating about 18,7)56 pupils. These schools are classified as follows: 8 industrial training schools, provided for by special appropriations; (58 boarding schools and 90 day schools, managed directly by tho Indian Bureau, and 61 schools managed un der contracts with religious societies, of ' which 41 are boarding schools and 30 are day schools. The total number of scholars enrolled in these schools during the year is 14,318. The average attendance maintained was 10,509; the total expenditure for the same time for ail purposes in connection with these schools was about $1,170,(XX1 FINANCIAL LIABILITIES OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE INDIAN TRIBES. The liabilities of the United States to In dian tribes under treaty stipulations, taking as a basis, where no sjieciflc sums are stated in the treaties, tho amounts appropriated last year, are as follows; Permanent annu ities, $349,351 98; temporary annuities for specific periods, $5,871,666 63; temporary annuities payable at the pleasure of Con gress or the President, $1,178,010; total, $7,- 898,938 60. There was on deposit in the Treasury on Nov. 1, 1886, of the proceeds of sales of In dian lands, the sum of $7,698,334 19. POPULATION OF TERRITORIES. The present population of the Territories is estimated, respectively, as follows: Arizona 90,000 New Mexico 180,000 Dakota 868,400,Utah. 196,500 Idaho 97,260 Washington.. .. 142,891 Montana 130,(XX),Wyoming 85,000 Alaska has a population of 6,800 whites, s,B(X)civilized natives, and *26,800 natives not civilized. WELAKA. WAIFS. Oranges Going Forward and Bringing Good t rices. Wklaka, Fla., Dec. 4.—Oranges are moving very briskly and are two or three weeks ahead of last season, being well col ored up and full of juice. The fruit is much better than last year, and is not so much discolored by black rust. Messrs. Reynolds & Wool ofk are buying about all that can be had in this section, paying de livered in loose lots at their packing house about $1 30 per box. This nets the seller nearly $125 per box on the tree, which is a very satisfactory price, there being no risk of shipping, cash being paid on delivery here. A home mar ket is what all orange-growers desire. There is good profit in the business if a regular market can bo established. The Orange Auction Union, recently organized, will, no doubt, solve the question of how to dispose of our oranges. Grower* are all very en thusiastic and if all go in for this one plan, buyers will come here and buy the oranges, thus cutting off the middle dealers, who are very numerous during the season, and many have no offices, but sell one’s fruit as it arrives off the steamer. Property is looking up from its decline caused by the freeze of two vears ago, and from present indications will soon have a good recognized value. Some settlers are expected m this winter. Several are here now prospecting. One party wont all over the State two years ago, ami says he found nothing so pretty and having tho desirable features which is claimed for Welaka. The street question is the most important business the Council has to contend with at present, and it is thought streets will soon lie opened which will be satisfactory to all. So far no damaging cold has occurred. Oats and rye are looking well. Many sow a few acres for early ieed anil they do very well. More farming is being done than for some years. Many talk of planting tobacco. No doubt it will prove remunerative. Tampa and Manatee. Tampa, Fla., Dec. 4.—The Manatee county Prohibitionists came out on top yes terday. They carried the county by"2uo majority. Lenpesty & Estes, furniture dealers of Tampa, made an assignment yesterday for the benefit of their creditors. W. J. Bur tbolmew is ussignee. The fover record is two new cases of a mild form and no deaths. Negro Murderers Shot. Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 4. A mob of seventy-five masked men took three negroes from jail at Charleston, Miss., last night, and shot them to death. They were charged with the assassination of a white man. A Furniture Factory Burned. Quebec, Dtc. 4.—Fire in tho furniture factory of P. Valliere this morning destroy ed the building and its contents. The loss is between $75,000 and SIOO,OOO with no in surance. (PRICEgtO A YEAH. I 1 acE.vrs ACUPi. f FENDNSPIAX A MURDER HARTINGTON AND GOSCHEN THE OBJECSS OF THE PLOT. The First Plan Contemplated tho Wrecking of the Train on Which They Traveled to Ireland, and tho Firing of Shots into Their Car—K d naping also Proposed. London, Dec. 4.—Mr. MacDonald, Lord Advocate of Scotland, implied in a recent speech that T. M. Healy had advocated wholesale robbing of landlords. Mr. Healy challenged Mr. MacDonald to give the au thority upon which he hod spoken. In reply to the challenge Mr. MacDonald sends an apology to Mr. Healy. ALLEGED FENIAN PLOTS. London, Dec. 5,8:30 a. m.—The Morning Post to-day declares that certain Parncllites recently urged the Fenians to minder Lord Hartington, which they scornfully refused to do. American Fenians then undertook the task, arriving on the Continent for that purpose a fortnight ago. These, in concert with a few Irish Fenians, made arrange ments by which the rails on the road be tween Kingston and Dublin were toflbe re moved in order to wreck the train carrying Lord Hartington and Mr. Goschan, last week, and in the excitement shots were to bo fired into the carriage occupied by the English visitors. A NEW SCHEME. The scheme was changed when it became known that Lord Hartington ami Mr. Goschen traveled by different trains and that the former drove straight to the resi dence of Mr. Powers, in I-eopardstown, thus missing Dublin. It was next arranged to attack Mr. Powers’ carriage in a lonely lane and murder Lord Hartington or carry him into the Wicklow mountains, where ho was to be held as a hostage for the release of William O’Brien and other political prisoners. Everything had been matured, but the plot miscarried, owing to the watchfulness of tho police. WARRANTS FOR PROMINENT NATIONALISTS. Dublin, Dec. 4.—lt is stated that twenty warrants are out for prominent National ists. CHARLESTON ITEMS. Dr. Forrest's Card—lt Appears to Have Stirred Up Quite a Breeze. Charleston, Dec*. 4.—Doctors some times dip into politics without any serious consequences to themselves, their patients or tbe public. In this State there are several doctors in politics. In Charleston there is one doctor on the Board of Aider men and one on tho Board of School Com missioners. In the Legislature now in session there are a half dozen doctors scattered through tho House and Senate. One doctor who is a member of the House is the most cantankerous and aggressive of the whole 124 Representatives, and is known as the leader of the “three for a quarter” combin ation, which started several years ago with the avowed purpose of running the State f;overnment on about the same basis as one nts out the contract for furnishing beef for tho Almshouse. It may lie mentioned in passing that tho combination died a natural death. No doctor, however, who laid aside his lancet to put his finger in the political pot ever succeeded in making the fKit boil more furiously than Dr. Forrest, of this city, whose recent “card” has been published in the columns of the Morning News. The broth which was producod by the mixture of medicine, po”ties and religion turns out to have txen aiu oscoedingly nauseous dose, the fumes of which have spread partly nearly over tha whole nation. Dr. Forrest is a son of the distinguished John Fornet, D. D., who for many years was the pastor of the Scotch Presbyterian church of this city. The Scotch Presbyterian' churches one of the oldest and most exclusively aristocratic ecclesiastical institutions in this venerable and exclusively aristocratic city. Only tho creme de la creme of the ancient Presby terian families attend it. Ex-Judge Ma grath, A. S. J. Perry, the Mures, the Pauls, the Hemphills, the Fori ests, the Robertsons, and others, are in its fold. It is the only church in the city that has a splendid organ, and clings to the old custom of having a precentor to raise the hymns. Dr. Forrest’s card created a decided sen sation. It attracted attention to a feature of the Democratic ticket which bad struck ‘some people before, but which is rather tho result of accident than of design, viz.: tho preseuce on it of an unusual number of Cath olics. But that this is the result of tho tac tics of tho Roman hierarchy nobody be lieves who lives in Charleston, and know* the gontlemen who represent the Roman hierarchy here. Asa matter of fact there are four or five Catholics on the Board of Aldermen (twenty-four), and two on tho Board of School Commissioners, but nobody supposes that the city will be Romanized bv this fact. ‘it, is thought here that the real grievance of Dr. Forrest is the fact that the city undor a contract made over ten vears ago makes an annual appropriation of $6,000 to the ladies of the order of Our Lady of Mercy in consideration of their care of 150 orphan children. The city orphan asylum, one of the finest in the Mouth, would be charged with the care of these orphans otherwise. Its doors are open to oil young children who have lost their fathers and whose mothers are unable to support them. As is well known the Protectant form of religion is used in this institution, although a large proportion of 4he inmates are the offspring of Catholics. It was urged when this con tract was made that Catholics had soma rights as well as Protestants and the plea was admitted, so the city agreed to pay tho Misters of Mercy S6.(XX) toward the support of a stated number of orphans and this, it is said, has annoyed Dr. Forrest and other zealous pious persons. There is nothing new in municipal poli tics. The Republican and United Labor parties have coalesced as w&s predicted in this corresnoudence, and will briugouta ticket. The" Democratic ticket, however will be elected without doubt. A Sharp Fleeces Augusta. Augusta,Ga.,Dec. 4.—George Hamburg, a young Ge. man sharp who has been playing his cards pretty well here for the past week, lias now dejiarted with a large amount of money obtained under false pretenses. By pretending to he very wealthy, traveling for amusement and showing bogus letters to that effect, he succeeded In getting SSOO or $6iX). Twenty-five dollars reward is offered for his arrest. Pacific Railways. Washington, Dec. 4.—Tho Pacific Rail way Commissioners will submit their re port to the President to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock. They speak of it as “A report" in the singular, from which it is inferred that the President’s wish that they should agree upou one report, if possible, has beer met. * Silver from Mexico. El Paso, Tex. , Dec. 4. —Statistics in the office of the United States Collector of Cus toms gives tho importation of silver ore from Mexico to this point last month as 6,703 tons, valued at $340,135- This is an average of 226 tons per day.